Andrew Revkin has the latest story:
The sample memorandums, described as to be used in writing travel requests, indicate that the employee seeking permission to travel "understands the administration's position on climate change, polar bears, and sea ice and will not be speaking on or responding to these issues."
Apparently these memos, to scientists in the Alaskan division of the Fish and Wildlife Service, are only about a week old. In other words, despite two congressional hearings already to investigate political interferences with the communication of science relating to climate change, the same kind of heavy-handed restrictions are still being placed upon some government scientists.
Time for another hearing...
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In case this article goes subscription-only (which it should after about a week or so), it's also available from the LA Daily News, minus the the final paragraph ("Limits on government scientists' freedom to speak freely about climate change became a heated issue last year after news reports showed that political appointees at NASA had canceled journalists' interview requests with climate scientists and discouraged news releases on global warming.")
"... understands the administration's position on ... polar bears ..."
The administration has a "position" on polar bears?
I believe it's the missionary position.
The administration's official position on polar bears: "Polar bears are to be seen (eg, at the zoo) but not heard from."
Their position on climate: "Climate is real and getting realer every day."
Their position on Intelligence (and terror): "A wasted mind is a terrifying thing (We should know)".
Their position on censorship: "No censorship will be censored."
Their position on leaks: "We are in no position to comment on that until the criminal investigation is over."
Other Bush admin positions:
Position on recycling: Nothing is wasted, everything re-used, including (but by no means limited to):
War rationales: WMD, Democracy, Reduce Terrorism, Prevent Civil War, WMD, Democracy, Reduce Terrorism, Prevent civil war, W.D.R.P, D.R.P, D.R.P, D.R.P...
War plans: Plan A,Plan A,Plan A, D.R.P,D.R.P, D.R.P, D.R.P...R.I.P
Hurricane (and other Disaster) Preparedness Plan: guitar-strumming
Cleanup plan after hurricanes and other disasters: more guitar strumming